


Sakura

by eternalsession



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, is it romantic? is it platonic? find out next time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 03:28:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20753597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalsession/pseuds/eternalsession
Summary: I'll keep you safe in these arms of mine.





	Sakura

Seeing her out in battle was… like watching a natural disaster unfold right before his eyes. He could never avert his eyes, despite the danger; maybe it was because of the danger. She reminded him of the scent of thunderstorms—the rain, soft and gentle, contrasted by the erroneous lightning bolts that streaked through the sky. 

Seeing him out in battle was entrancing. He moved with all the dignity and grace of the spring breeze. The perfect weather for a walk, or to relax, or to nap, yet so ephemeral. It was at once as if he were here yet, yet not. As fleeting as that spring wind, those cherry blossoms.

And as his eyes gravitate toward hers, so too do hers to his. Gazes that never quite catch. Conversations that don’t quite connect. They both skirt around what they’re thinking. Around how they feel. Perhaps the words never needed to be said. 

He’s been relying on her more, recently. Maybe it’s because he longs to see more of that beautifully destructive style. Maybe it’s because he knows she can get the job done. Maybe it’s because he has no choice. Even now, his eyes are drawn to her. 

She’s been relying on him more, recently. Maybe it’s because she wants to see more of him, see the other sides of himself that he hides away. Maybe it’s because she can’t quite help herself. Maybe it’s because he’s the one she trusts the most. Even now, her gaze rests on him. 

_It's magnetic._

He meets her at the academy. He does not think much of her. Well, of course, she’s beautiful, but beyond that, nothing. He discovers quickly though, they’re all but two halves of a whole. And he wants her (for the Golden Deer). They think in the same way, employ the same methods. Always aware.

She meets him at the academy. She notices the color of his skin, though makes no comment of it. It doesn't matter (and, besides, Almyrans are darker). After spending some time with him, she realizes he sees right through her. That goes both ways. She can never tell what he’s thinking, though. Perhaps it was that mystique that drew her right to him.

_The time passes. The seasons change. _

He visits the cherry blossoms with her every year. He tries not to read too far into it, though he enjoys this tradition of theirs. Even as just friends, he treasures this bond more than anything. More than even his bond with Teach. A hand reaches out and touches his. The sudden warmth surprises him. _When was the last time…_

_…I felt such a thing? _Her playful nature led her to take his hand in order to show him something, though the pounding in her ears caused a hesitation. She glances at him, while she’s sure he isn’t looking, and sees the tiny bit of color in his cheeks. He smiles at her, that usual painted smile, the one that never reaches his eyes, but she can tell. He’s nervous.

She’s nervous. Perhaps she can’t feel how clammy her hands have gotten.

So still she leads him, trying to pass off her behavior as “Just Hilda things!”

He does not react either way to her—he feigns ignorance. He asks where they’re headed.

She leads him along, hand in hand. Her nerves from earlier are replaced by a new feeling. Something warm in her chest. Something warm in her hand. She was always close to others. She was always a very touchy person. _So then why was it_

_that this hand was so warm?_ He follows her lead, mind racing. A small clearing enters his field of view, and instantly he remembers. He has already been here before. In the same way, as well. The first time he ever came here was with her, being strung along by her hand. They planted a tree in the middle of this clearing.

She looks back and smiles at him, forgetting to release his hand. She makes a comment about how much the little seed has sprouted, how long it’s been. She hopes he hasn’t forgotten. It is her most dear memory with him, after all. Did she say that out loud?

Claude grins, laughing a sort of “nihehe” sound.

Unfortunately, yes.

He agrees, though, being honest, he had forgotten. All of the pressures of the war had gotten to him, and the memory was suppressed until she led him back here.

She releases his hand. She puts up her usual cheery facade, playfully telling him not to forget, but something is off. His face, it’s…

What a sad smile.

He reaches for her calloused hand, holding her palm toward him. Just how many battles had he made her fight? This… was not the life she was meant to live, nor was it one she asked for. He bites his lip to fight back the tears that form in his eyes. As his eyes trace up her arm, they reveal to him more and more scars.

He falls to his knees. She kneels down to him. She does not touch him—not yet. A hand sheepishly reaches for his head. It is unsure of what to do. Slowly, a finger touches him. He does not react. Then another, and another.

She brings him into an embrace, and between her arms she feels it again.

_Warmth_.

The callouses from the familiarity of a weapon, the scars that were intended for me… you took them all. You shouldered the burden that I could not. Just how many battles have you experienced? How many times have you faced death? Why for me?

The arms pulled him in closer. Without a word, he understood. In exchange for the responsibility he ended up subconsciously pawning off to her, she trusted him with a responsibility of her own.

You are my ambition.

**Author's Note:**

> The sakura tree (also known as the cherry blossoms) is symbolic of the transience of life and the coming of spring.


End file.
